What constitutes a "valid" interpretation of the Bible?

[gtar100]

12. That is interesting as I had not really heard what the RCC says about biblical interpretation.

This statement in particular: "In the Bible, God teaches us the truths that we need for the sake of our salvation". From one perspective, that is an assertive statement, a claim, so to speak. But I see more in it than that. I also see the church stepping back and acknowledging that the ultimate meanings are between one's self and God. Because what is more personal than one's salvation? It's why I am turned off by people going around telling others they must be saved. Yea right... you first... is one of my responses. But honestly, it's none of their business. I hold that as true for everyone. When I'm in an atmosphere of respect and around people I love and who love me, that's just how it works naturally. Nobody is going to force me to say things I don't believe or tell me what a rotten person I am on one hand and offer me an antidote from the other. Exactly what is my "salvation" is strictly between me and God. If any aspect of it is shared between us, it should be mutual and nobody should be coerced into doing something they don't feel right for themselves. I like to picture it as being born in the middle of a flowing river. That river is made up of stories, the ones we tell ourselves about who and what we are. The river came before us and will continue long after we die. In it there are my personal stories, yours, and there are stories we learned from our families, communities and the culture at large. These later ones often take on a life of their own and live on beyond one or two generations, sometimes taking on importance politically, socially, religiously, historically. They give us a perspective of who we believe ourselves to be in a wider context. They are our collective dreams. And our free will is that we get to decide what we think about them. We may have been fed the stories to believe and not believe - by the well-meaning and the devious alike. I was. I've been fed stories by public education, religious education, television and radio, now the Internet. But at some point it comes down to the individual having to decide which stories have meaning, value and relevance and which ones don't. Free will.

And then there's the church. In this case, the RCC that has lasted for almost two thousand years with roots going back even further. That's no short story in an encyclopedia. That's a tradition, a central pillar for millions of people. That is an epic, a grand story that people find important to keep alive generation after generation. It has attracted scoundrels and saints, of course, but also people just wanting to connect to something meaningful and sometimes mysterious. Back to the article, it states church has no official position on interpretations of scripture and I think that is good. I see the RCC as a place one can go to practice purposeful rituals of one type or another, gain an orthodox perspective on reality and, in essence, feed one's soul. It is a rich fountain of information and community that, if it speaks to you, it's available. Or should be. If the relationship between each individual and God is respected, there is great power in the church. Which is why the abuses of power, manipulations of people's minds, the sexual abuse going on within its walls, and general fuckery that people do with religion is so abhorrent. All those things are poisoning what should be something that should be a place for people to find refuge, community and guidance if wanted but a place to always be respected as a living being regardless of the conditions or circumstances of their lives. It should be that, it's our story to tell and it seems to be the story it's trying to tell.

These excerpts tell me that there are people within the church who know this which is why it lives on. But it's got some serious problems. It's like how the republican party is attracting nazis, racists, anti-semites, fundamentalists, and generally cranky people. It's bringing them down. It's also happening to the Catholic Church as well. Choking on some serious poisons. I hope that the good isn't killed off with the bad. But, as I see it, it needs to get off its high horse and get rid of the people who are abusing it. I'm not going to wait around for things to get better, though. I don't trust the power structure as it is. It's not my church either but I've had the good fortune to meet some really great people in the church who helped me get through some tough times...without the pressure to be anybody but myself or be "saved by Jesus". I know the power of good is there, it's in the people in the congregation, and the priests, bishops and popes and everyone in between ought to realize they are there to serve the communities of people that gather there. What a privilege! I'll get off my soap box... it just pisses me off to see the privilege abused and the pain, anger, hatred and resentment it causes. If the story dies, maybe it deserved to.